


Playin' With the Boys

by Daisy_Huckleberry



Category: Top Gun (1986)
Genre: Dare, First Meetings, Gay Character, M/M, Male Friendship, Meet-Cute, My First Fanfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-10-26 05:16:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20736821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daisy_Huckleberry/pseuds/Daisy_Huckleberry
Summary: Val really did not want to star in this brainless action movie but when he hears some delicious gossip about his co-star, he decides to rise to the challenge.





	1. Welcome to Purgatory

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you @pinkandvelvet. If it weren't for you, I would never have been brave enough to dip my toe in the world of fanfic. Your encouragement made this happen. I hope I haven't disappointed you.

“What the fuck am I even doing here?” It was the question that had been haunting him ever since that fateful day when he finally agreed to star in this godforsaken picture. I mean seriously, who the fuck was going to want to see a cheesy action movie about an obnoxious, cocksure pilot romancing his instructor? It was without doubt the most vacuous script he had ever had the misfortune to read but still, here he was in San Diego ready for day one. “Welcome to Purgatory Val," he muttered to himself.

After arriving on set, he figured the best thing to do to ease himself into his own personal hell was to hide out in his trailer & look over the script again. Before long, he'd drifted off to sleep only to be awoken by a knock on his trailer door. Upon answering, he was accosted by a six-foot man mountain. “Hey man, I'm Rick. I'm your RIO! It's so great to meet you man. I'm honestly not trying to blow smoke up your ass but Top Secret is my favourite comedy.”

“Then you're clearly a man of taste. Come in.”

After giving Val an enthusiastic slap on the back, the human whirlwind immediately headed for the sofa & picked up the discarded script that was lying on the ground. “What are your thoughts on the script then?”

_The dreaded question_. Val slowly made his way over to the chair facing the sofa, hoping that Rick would hit upon another topic of conversation before he had the chance to sit down. Restless energy seemed to ooze out of Rick's every pore, leading Val to believe that conversations with him would have many unexpected diversions. It was a prospect Val was relishing if he was being honest, he too had been accused of being a livewire in the past & it may help to stave off the inevitable boredom. His initial thoughts were that he & Rick were going to get along famously & he could tell by the glint in Rick's eye that a little hellraising would definitely be on the agenda; just what Val needed to get him through this penance.

“Buddy, did you hear me? I said what do you think of the script?”

“I don't think you want to know my thoughts so early on,” Val cautiously replied.

“Come on man, you can tell me. You think it blows right?”

Val’s mouth fell open in astonishment. How could this guy be onto him already when they'd only just met? All of a sudden, the raucous sound of Rick's laughter filled the room. “Yeah man, I know it blows but hey, we get to look cool & fly jets & stuff.”

“And play volleyball on a beach shirtless,” Val murmured sarcastically, rolling his eyes for further emphasis.

“Hey, whatever makes the ladies happy right?”

Val laughed & poured them both a Coke. He took a huge handful of M&Ms from the glass dish resting on the table & relaxed into the chair. “How long have you been here?” Val asked as he casually dropped the handful of his favourite treats in his mouth. He had deliberately delayed his own departure so that his suffering wouldn't feel so long.

“Only a couple of days. It's been fun actually; the other guys are really cool. I think this shoot is gonna be a lot of fun.”

“So, have you met the star of the show yet?” Val asked as he vigorously polished off his second handful.

“You mean Cruise? No, not properly yet. I've seen him briefly but he always seems to be getting called away for one thing or another. He seems like a good guy but man is he short; he's like a pygmy! We'll both be meeting him later anyway; we're shooting the scene in the officers' club.”

_Oh, the agony_. That scene was bad enough on paper, let alone having to actually film it. It was overloaded with so much macho posturing; Val was sure he would have to find another angle just to get through it. “What do you know about this Cruise anyway? Other than the fact that he likes to dance about in his pants.”

Rick took a handful of M&Ms and lifted his long legs onto the sofa. “He's supposed to be a great guy. The word on the set is that this film is going to make him a huge star.”

“That's if this film actually makes any money,” scoffed Val. “What dirt is there on him though? Anything I could use in the scenes? I mean our character's hate each other, right? I could use an angle to keep me interested.”

Rick shifted uncomfortably in his seat & began to rub the back of his neck. Val's interest was immediately piqued. “Come on man, I can tell you know something. Spill it.”

After tugging at his collar another dozen times, Rick let out a deep breath. “Well, I have heard rumours...but that's all they are rumours, I know nothing official.”

Val's eyes lit up & he began to lick his bottom lip in anticipation. From Rick's reaction, he knew this was going to be good & he couldn't wait to use it to his advantage. “What rumours?”

“Some people...I mean, not me but others...well, they say that he's...” Rick awkwardly cleared his throat & his gaze shifted to his feet. “They say that he may possibly be...that is to say that he could be...”

Val's impatience got the better of him. “Could be what Rick? Jeez man, spit it out.”

“They say he could be gay!”

_Oh yes_, now this Val could use. His eyes sparkled mischievously & as Rick slowly lifted his eyes to his, he suggestively arched an eyebrow.

“No man, whatever it is you're thinking of doing; don't do it.”

“Come on, it'll be fun. It'll add something to the narrative, I swear.”

Sweat began to run down Rick's brow. “This is going to be so awkward; I mean look at you!”

Val glanced down at himself. 

"Seriously, if the poor guy is gay, he doesn't stand a chance with you & that hair, that freakin' jawline & that mouth. I actually feel sorry for the guy.”

“Kinda sounds like you envy the guy too Rick,” and Val winked at his flustered co-star.

“Get bent Kilmer.”

“No, that's the new guy's job or at least it soon will be.” This time, it was Val's laughter ringing out of the trailer.

“Why did you decide to do this movie anyway if you hated the script so much? It's not like you need it, I bet you've got offers coming out of your ears.”

Val grabbed another handful of M&Ms. “Tony Scott really wanted me for this movie. He was relentless, he even chased me down a corridor to urge me to do it! I figured if the guy wanted me that badly, I should at least consider it & well, here I am.”

Rick casually flicked through the script that was still lying in his hands. “I can see why he wanted you so badly. Iceman's cocky & self-assured & from what I've seen so far, so are you. I think this could turn out to be a real iconic character for you, one that'll be remembered years from now.”

A deep, hearty laugh escaped Val's throat until he saw the earnest look on Rick's face. “Oh my God, you're serious. I can't see it myself; this Iceman is such a one-note character. There's nothing I can really sink my teeth into but thank you though.”

“It's gonna happen, trust me. If I didn't have the body of a Greek God, I'd actually hate you but I plan on stealing all of your best scenes anyway so it's gonna work out well for me too.”

Val had to hand it to the guy, he was certainly confident. “Oh yeah, and how do you plan on doing that?”

“By using the gifts God gave me. Just you wait, my friend. People are gonna know the name Rick Rossovich once I'm through” and he flexed his bulging biceps before collapsing with laughter.

Even this early on in their relationship, Val knew that filming with this guy was going to be a lot of fun. Plus, the juicy angle Rick had reluctantly provided had already triggered a million different scenarios in his head. He'd once been told by an old girlfriend that no woman would ever be able to resist his mouth. He was about to test whether a man he had only just met would be unable to do the same. Maybe this movie wasn't going to be too bad after all.


	2. The Game Is On

It was early afternoon by the time they reached the Lafayette Hotel in San Diego. The Mississippi Room was to double as the O' Club; the regular hang out for the rivals enrolled on the Top Gun program. It was here that Iceman would meet his antithesis, Maverick, for the first time. Val's heart sank as he went over the dialogue in his head. He had to find a way to make this watchable but how?

After a trip to the costume department, Val assessed himself in the mirror. He was dressed in the famed naval aviator white shirt & pants combo. He'd also been given a rather stylish pair of Ray-Ban aviators. As much as it pained him, he had to admit it was an iconic look; particularly when topped off with those frosted tips. Perhaps Rick had a point, this Iceman may turn out to be an enduring character as long as Val could inject him with enough magnetism & screen presence. It was a thought that excited him; having the chance to turn what could have been a pretty insignificant, one dimensional character into a bona fide movie icon.

He started to play about with the glasses & decided that Iceman would use them as a shield, a device to keep the world at a distance. He figured that Ice would be the “You can look but you can't touch” type. It would add an air of mystery to his persona; the eyes are the windows to the soul after all & if Ice keeps his hidden, it would enable him to keep people on their toes.

He grabbed hold of the script & turned to the O' Club scene. The first time Maverick would set eyes on Iceman was to be when Goose, Maverick's RIO, points him out across the room. Val quickly decided that he would wear his Ray-Bans throughout the beginning of the scene. That way, Maverick would be even more intrigued by Goose's “ice cold, no mistakes" description. Wearing sunglasses indoors was certainly a more subtle nod to his character's coolness than him drinking from a glass filled with ice cubes! His mask would only come off when he was face to face with his new rival. His eyes were to be used as a weapon in all of his scenes with Cruise, he had even been practising his intense gaze in the mirror that morning. Val figured that Cruise's reaction to this acting choice would not only reveal whether these rumours were true but it would provide an added frisson to their scenes, something that would surely help to make this film more memorable than it deserved to be.

As he walked towards the assembled crew, Val was accosted by Rick. “Hey man, you look great. I told you Iceman was going to be an iconic son of a bitch.”

Rick's eternal optimism was infectious & Val found himself getting swept along with it. For the first time since he agreed to do this movie, he felt a rush of adrenaline & he hadn't even begun to truly lay the foundations for his performance yet.

As if on cue, a hive of activity erupted as the star of the show arrived on set. Val tried to catch a glimpse through the crowd of make up artists, assistants & general dog's bodies but it was proving to be quite difficult. _Rick was right, he clearly is a pygmy!_ Suddenly, the crowd parted & Val was met with a dazzling white smile & an outstretched hand. “So, you're Ice-man,” & the Hollywood smile widened as a distinctive laugh emerged.

“Apparently so,” Val replied, firmly grasping his co-star’s hand. Cruise glanced down at their hands entwined & a faint pink hue emerged on his face. It was enough to set the cogs whirring in Val's head. Cruise awkwardly looked up & his hazel eyes were greeted with a wide, knowing smile from the tall blonde. Suddenly, Cruise went to release his hand but Val gently pulled his hand in closer. It was a slight movement, imperceptible to the onlookers swarming around them but it did not go unnoticed by Cruise. He frantically pulled his hand away and crossed his arms defensively. Val couldn't help but smirk as he watched his clearly flustered co-star trying desperately to pull himself together. All of a sudden, the atmosphere changed & it was almost as if the bar was empty but for the two of them.

Suddenly, Tony Scott approached & put an arm around Tom before leading him to the other end of the bar. Val was not deterred; he continued to stare at his retreating co-star willing him to turn back around. As sure as night follows day, Cruise glanced back over his left shoulder only to stop in his tracks once more when he was met with a seductive wink from his cocksure co-star. _Locked on and target engaged._

Val's reverie was broken by Hurricane Rick's arrival. “So you two have finally met then. Thoughts?”

Before responding, Val hesitated & a wicked thought popped into his head. “Well, let's just say that I think it's highly unlikely that those rumours you heard are true.”

Rick threw his head back in laughter. “So, the lips didn't work this time then? Better luck next time.”

Val had to bite his cheek to keep himself from laughing. Thank God Rick had missed his previous interaction. “Hey, I didn't say I was going to give up; I just said it's unlikely.”

Rick stared at him incredulously. “Come on man, you said it yourself, it's highly unlikely. But hey, if you want to make things interesting, I’ll bet you $500 that he's not gay.”

And with that, the trap was set. A wager was just what Val needed to keep things interesting & judging from Cruise's reaction earlier, this was going to be the easiest money he'd ever earned. “What can I say Rick? I love a challenge! I'll take that bet.”


End file.
